Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 6 October 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many test sites of genetically modified crops are located in Scotland and where they are situated.

Susan Deacon: As at 16 August 1999, there were a total of 22 trial sites in Scotland. These are all small scale plots. There are currently no farm scale sites in Scotland and any notification of such sites will be published in the normal way. The location of the plot sites is summarised in the table set out below.

  The Locations of all Research & Development sites approved under GMO Deliberate Release Regulations are available on a public register which is held by the Health & Safety Executive in Edinburgh and from the Scottish Executive, Rural Affairs Department.

   Trial ongoing (termination date)   Consent Ref. No.   Address of Consent Holder   Address of Location of Release (release site)   Grid Reference Yes 31/10/06   97/R13/7   Advanta Seeds UK Ltd., Boothby Graffoe, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. LN5 0LP   SAC, Tillycorthie Farm, Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. AB41 0SD SAC, Boghall Farm, Biggar Road, Hillend, Edinburgh, Scotland. EH10 7DX   NJ 910 236 NT 247 656 Yes 31/10/00   96/R14/5   The Scottish Agricultural College, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland. AB21 9YA   No material being grown   No material being grown Yes 31/10/00   96/R14/6   The Scottish Agricultural College, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland. AB21 9YA   West Balhalgardy, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire   NJ 747 245 Yes 31/10/00   97/R14/7   The Scottish Agricultural College, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland. AB21 9YA   SAC, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen. AB21 9YA   NJ 871 105 Yes 30/10/01   97/R15/18   Plant Genetic Systems, J Plateaustraat 22, B-9000, Gent (Belgium)   SAC, Agronomy Dept., Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire   NJ 896 114 Yes 31/12/99   98/R15/24   Plant Genetic Systems, J Plateaustraat 22, B-9000, Gent (Belgium)   Boghall Farm, Biggar Road, Hillend, Edinburgh   NT 251 651 Yes 31/12/03   98/R19/18   AgrEvo UK Crop Protection Ltd., East Winch Hall, East Winch, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. PE32 1HN   SAC, Tillycorthie Farm, Udny, Aberdeenshire. AB41 0SD SAC, Tillycorthie Farm, Udny, Aberdeenshire. AB41 0SD SAC, Boghall Farm, Biggar Road, Hillend, Edinburgh, Midlothian. EH10 7DX Boghall Farm, Biggar Road, Hillend, Edinburgh. EH10 7DX Tillycorthie Farm, Udny Station, Aberdeenshire SAC, Tillycorthie, Udny, Aberdeenshire. AB41 6SD   NJ 913 242  NJ 910 236  NT 247 653   NT 24 65 NJ 91 22  NJ 90 22 NJ 90 23 Awaiting Consent   99/R19/19   AgrEvo UK Crop Protection Ltd., East Winch Hall, East Winch, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. PE32 1HN   MacRobert Farm, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, Scotland   NJ 86 11 Awaiting Consent   99/R19/20   AgrEvo UK Crop Protection Ltd., East Winch Hall, East Winch, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. PE32 1HN   Scottish Agricultural Colleges, Tillycorthie Farm, Udny, Aberdeenshire. AB41 0SD   NJ 90 22 Yes 31/8/02   98/R20/2   National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Huntington Road, Cambridge. CB3 0LE   Scottish Agricultural College, Tillycorthie Farm, Udny, Aberdeenshire   NJ 907 229  Yes 31/7/99   96/R22/6   Monsanto Crop Protection, PO Box 53, Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. HP12 4HL   Boghall Farm, Biggar Road, Hillend, Edinburgh   NT 252 652 Yes 31/10/00   98/R23/5   Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee. DD2 5DA   No material being grown   No material being grown Awaiting Consent   98/R23/6   Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee. DD2 5DA   East Loan Field, Mylnefield, Invergowrie, Perthshire, Scotland   NO 339 299 Yes 31/12/00   97/R24/2   Pioneer Genetique SARL, Chemin de l’Enseigure BP 6, 31840 Aussonne, France   SAC, Tillycorthie, Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. AB41 6SD Boghall Farm, Biggar Road, Penicuik, Midlothian, ScotlandNJ 910 236  NT 247 653

Agriculture

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate of the financial value to the farming industry in Dumfries and Galloway of the new aid to sheep and beef farmers announced by Her Majesty’s Government’s Minister for Agriculture on 20 September 1999.

Ross Finnie: The nature and application of measures announced make it very difficult to arrive at an accurate figure for any particular region. However, we estimate that over the next 2 years the aid package could be worth about £7.5m to Dumfries and Galloway.

Education

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether universities in Scotland have developed links with universities in other parts of the world in order to share knowledge and experience on Co-operative Development

Henry McLeish: Universities in Scotland have a wide variety of links with universities in other parts of the world. We are not aware of formal university links for this particular purpose, but understand that some university staff do have specific overseas links in the area of business generation, which may include co-operative development.

Environment

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish any studies which have been carried out to show the pathogen content of abattoir by-products and sewage, and whether it will publish any studies which have been done on the residues from contraceptive pills in sewage.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has not commissioned any studies in these areas. However, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, at the request of Scottish Office Ministers, recently carried out a comprehensive review of the current regimes controlling the disposal of organic wastes to land. A public consultation has recently been completed on the findings of this review, and the responses are currently being analysed.

  There is other recent and ongoing research in a number of relevant areas by a range of organisations, though publication of this work is not a question for the Scottish Executive.

Environment

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to institute a study into the presence of pathogens in sewage at the time of removal from treatment works and the persistency of those pathogens once applied to land.

Sarah Boyack: Research into these issues is being commissioned by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Environment Agency. The Scottish Executive will see the outcome of this work in due course.

  The Scottish Executive has not commissioned any separate studies in this area.

Fisheries

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for fisheries offences committed in the sea area covered by the Scottish Adjacent Water Boundaries Order have taken place in Scottish courts in the past 10 years.

Mr John Home Robertson: The numbers of cases relating to fisheries offences where a decision was taken in a Scottish court up to 31 March in each of the last 10 years are as follows:

  1989-90 65

  1990-91 51

  1991-92 73

  1992-93 92

  1993-94 122

  1994-95 80

  1995-96 69

  1996-97 79

  1997-98 110

  1998-99 88.

  No offences were detected in the area of the North Sea between the Scottish zone as defined on the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order and the administrative boundary at 55°48.06 north latitude in the five years to 31 March 1999. Figures are not available for the preceding 5 years.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will state its response to compensation claims by fishermen whose livelihoods are affected by the ban on scallop fishing due to Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, and when its policy on this matter was agreed.

Mr John Home Robertson: It has not been the policy of successive governments to compensate for losses due to disease or other natural phenomena in the marine environment. The Scottish Executive is continuing to assess the economic impact of the ban, with the assistance of the catching and processing industries. I discussed this issue with the fishing industry at the recent meeting of the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group. I agreed to consider any detailed representations made by the industry about the financial impact.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any plans to introduce a vaccine for Infectious Salmon Anaemia which has affected salmon farming and, if so, when it will be available.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive is aware that there is commercial interest in developing a vaccine for ISA. Any application would be considered by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate which is responsible for the authorisation of animal vaccines in the UK.

  Current EU disease control legislation prohibits the use of vaccines to combat ISA. Proposals have been submitted to the European Commission to have this prohibition lifted to make it possible for approved vaccines to be used in future as an additional tool within our eradication strategy.

Local Government

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to repeal Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act.

Mr Frank McAveety: Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 inserts a new provision, section 2A, in the Local Government Act 1986. The Scottish Executive is considering how section 2A of the 1986 Act, which prohibits local authorities from promoting homosexuality through teaching or by publishing material, could be repealed.

Maritime Issues

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what sea areas other than those covered by the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Orders are presently, either by habit and repute or statutory authority, subject to Scottish legal jurisdiction

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers have competence in relation to all devolved matters in or as regards Scotland.

  In respect of sea fisheries, the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers will legislate and act up to the boundaries defined in the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999. In addition, they can legislate and act in respect of Scottish fishing boats wherever in the world they may be.

  Oil and gas are reserved matters. The Civil Jurisdiction (Offshore Activities) Order 1987 made under the Oil and Gas (Enterprise) Act, 1982 defines an area of sea where the civil law in force in Scotland and the jurisdiction of the Scottish civil courts applies in relation to alleged offences taking place in connection with any activity related to the exploration of, or the exploitation of, the oil and gas resources in that area of sea. Part of this area of sea is outwith the sea area covered by the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order.

Social Work

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will consider taking to reduce the level of violence experienced by social workers and whether plans to reduce violence and stress affecting social workers will be considered by the forthcoming General Social Care Council as a matter of priority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: In a speech to the Association of Directors of Social Work in May 1998 I enumerated a 7 point plan to modernise social work. This included the need to support front-line staff. They undertook to take forward action on this topic and have been developing a guidance pack on supporting front-line staff. This includes dealing with stress and violence to staff. The guidance pack will be launched in December and I am sure this will help employers deal with this difficult issue.

  The Scottish Social Services Council will have the responsibility of issuing codes of conduct and practice for both the workforce and their employers. The Scottish Executive, the UK Government and the administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland are commissioning the development of draft codes of conduct and practice. I will ensure that the code of practice for employers includes violence and stress reduction.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will consider making provision in the new Parliament building for commemoration of Scottish achievement, from inventions to links with other parts of the world.

Sir David Steel: There will be a number of opportunities within the Holyrood building to commemorate Scottish achievements. Specific suggestions should be put to the Holyrood Project Team in the first instance for consideration by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body in due course.